Aubameyang reveals that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he can go on to become an Arsenal legend.
Arsenal fans worldwide breathe a sigh of relief on Tuesday when star striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until 2023.
Contract talks had been on for months, with a deal looking unlikely under former coach Unai Emery. It was rumored that a number of European giants were interested in the Gabon international with Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Barcelona showing interest in the striker.
Arsenal finally announced that Aubameyang has agreed to a three-year contract extension on Tuesday, offering the 31-year-old a bumper contract.
Aubameyang has now revealed how a conversation with head coach Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay at the Emirates as he told him he could become a club legend.
Speaking in an interview with former Arsenal star Ian Wright, Aubemayang said: “I had quite a lot of time to think about it. I’ve been thinking about it since a year [ago],” .
“I also had a chat with Mikel, that I think he gave me something very clear about the idea of the future of the club and about me.
“He was straight and honest and that’s what I like because we are always honest. He said: ‘Okay, you can maybe leave. I don’t know what your mind is [thinking] right now, but you can leave and go for trophies at other clubs or you can stay here and have a legacy’.
“This, for me, was the key word.”
He added: “We had a chat when we were in lockdown, he called me. Normally we have to speak about a game. I had to do a summary. You have to explain how the game works.
“He called me and said: ‘Forget about it’. I had prepared maybe two pages and he said: ‘Yeah, forget about it. Let’s talk about real things’.
“He said: ‘I want to be honest with you, how do you feel?’ I was like, I have to say the truth: ‘I feel very good’, it was maybe two or three months that he was here. [In] training, you can feel the passion. You can feel everything from this guy. He is so good and he’s the kind of guy who you can trust in him.
“That’s why I said to him: ‘I feel very good. What you said to me about legacy and stuff, I really think about it. I think it’s the right way and the true way to go’.”
Watch Aubameyang and Ian Wright’s full interview below
Since joining Arsenal, the Arsenal No.11 has scored 72 goals in 111 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions.
